Earthquake Safety

What to do during an Earthquake

While Quaketek focuses on preparing for earthquake, a crucial element in surviving one, is how you react during the shaking. The best thing to do during an earthquake is to drop to the ground, take cover under a sturdy table or desk and hold on. If you can’t get under something sturdy (not a doorway) drop to the ground and protect your head and neck with your arms.

There is a lot of misinformation concerning the triangle of life, however, studies tend to show that this is not safer than the traditional duck and cover. This is especially true if you are in a building that has been designed not to collapse. You are much more likely to be injured by falling objects and debris than to have the structure collapse completely. In a complete collapse, more evidence is still needed to show that the “triangle of life” is really safer. Once the shaking is over, it’s important to evacuate the building immediately.
Even structures designed to the latest code standards are usually designed for collapse prevention, this means that the earthquake damage might be extensive. The building should be at least be subject to a visual inspection by a structural engineer.
It’s important to practice “Drop, Cover and Hold On” with coworkers students and even at home with your family. People very often panic during a crisis and having practiced beforehand drastically improves the probability that you will react appropriately during an earthquake.
The Great Shakeout is a terrific resource and available in multiple languages and for multiple regions, please take some time to take a look and sign up for the annual shakeout exercise. The next drill will be on October 18th  2018.
Drop Cover Hold on

Drop

Drop to the ground as soon as the shaking begins. If you are in bed or inside a car, stay where you are. If you are in a wheelchair, Lock!

Cover

Take cover under a sturdy table, chair or if not possible cover your head to protect against falling objects. If you have a book, binder or tray in your hands and can’t get to cover use it.

Hold on

Hold on tight so as to ensure you stay under cover and aren’t knocked over.

Evacuate

You must evacuate the building as soon as the shaking stops in buildings designed to dissipate with ductility.

Preparing for an Earthquake

There are numerous resources explaining how to prepare for an earthquake and we’ve compiled a list of some of the best tips.

  • Have a plan. This includes how to communicate with loved ones after the shaking stops.
  • Practice, Practice, Practice. Do earthquake drills with your family and coworkers. This will help identify safe locations for cover when the shaking starts.
  • Secure loose items
  • Store supplies such as water, non-perishable food and a copy of important documents
  • Communicate with local authorities to find out what local plans and programs exist
  • Find out how safe your home workplace/school is. Older buildings may pose a greater hazard and newer buildings are built to different criteria depending on their usage.
    • Most buildings are not designed to stay operational after an earthquake. Check with your building manager or the structural engineer of record to find out how prepared your building is.
  • Read and learn more! there are many great resources online, try to learn from government pages and check sources as there is a lot of poor or misleading information out there! www.ready.gov/earthquakes is a great resource  as is earthquakecountry.org

After an Earthquake

When the earthquake subsides and the shaking stops, many people simply run right after an earthquake. Stop look around and follows these steps.​
  • Look for a clear path to safety, if there is one leave the building or area and go to an open space away from possibly damaged buildings and infrastructure.
  • If there is a lot of dust and debris, cover your nose and mouth with a clean cloth or bit of clothing and use it as a dust mask.
  • If you are pinned down, stay calm. Try not to kick up more dust and debris. If your phone works call for help, else, find a way to make noise and signal to rescuers.
  • Be ready to take cover again in case of aftershocks.
  • Communicate with loved ones and alert authorities. It can be hazardous to enter damaged structures.

Keep Learning

There are so many great resources available to learn more about earthquake safety. Below are links to our most recent articles on earthquake related news & topics.  To learn more about earthquake protection technologies visit our comparison page.
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